Years of World Rally Championship contenders and sizzling road cars have helped establish the Impreza as a high-performance car in the public mind. The latest version, on sale from October 1, is something quite different. Available only in estate form, the 1.5R Sports Wagon is designed to provide space, four-wheel drive flexibility and the brilliant handling characteristics for which Subaru is renowned, all for an on-the-road price of just £12,495.To make this possible, something has had to give, and it's the Impreza's normally impressive straightline performance which has drawn the short straw. As its name suggests, the new car has a 1.5-litre engine, by far the smallest in the range. Other Imprezas have been fitted with engines of less than two litres, but not recently; the last one was the 2001 model year 1.6 TS, which wasn't exactly a bargain-basement model, since it cost £1455 more than the 1.5R does.I praised the Impreza's handling two paragraphs ago, but having done that I should also point out that Subaru has not always got this right. Even though the low centre of gravity created by the "boxer" flat-four engine layout combines superbly with an admirable policy of providing soft but well-damped suspension, Subaru has not always made full use of this head start.When it does, the results are brilliant. When it doesn't, as occasionally happens, a deeply disappointing Impreza emerges. Driving one of these cars is like opening a bottle of 1928 Château Mouton Rothschild and finding that it has been corked.The 1.5R is in no way a classic Impreza, but since Subaru's chassis people have got their sums right this time it is undoubtedly a satisfying one, at least as far as its cornering abilities are concerned. With a maximum of 104bhp available, you can forget about blasting away from a standing start with all four tyres scrabbling for grip; once you're up and running, though, it is as entertaining as the best of its stablemates. You don't have to have fun in the 1.5R if you don't want to, but the fun is there to be had.In a strange way, this level of handling ability may work against the car to some extent. Since it corners so well, the fact that its acceleration is so feeble by normal Impreza standards is thrown sharply into relief. Any modern car which takes 13.5 seconds to complete the 0-62mph run is bound to feel slow, and this is such outlandish behaviour for an Impreza that it's easy to feel that something has gone badly wrong.But people who like fast cars would never buy the 1.5R in the first place. They would be more likely to spend the same money on an old WRX. The customer base for the 1.5R consists of people who just need enough performance to get around in day-to-day driving, which means nearly everyone.What they had, though, was traction, and lots of it - vastly more than might be expected of a small, cheap hatchback. In each of its forms, the Justy received hearty criticism from city-based journalists who just couldn't see why it was worth building. They failed to realise that there are people out there in the real world who needed nothing more exotic than a small, cheap hatchback, but who also lived in parts of the country where there might, for example, be snow-covered farm tracks to negotiate. A woman I knew who ran stables on high ground in the Borders was a case in point; she bought a Justy because there was no other car which met her needs.The Impreza 1.5R, larger, faster and more expensive than a Justy though it might be, is nevertheless its modern equivalent. In the list of standard equipment which helps justify its very non-Justyish price tag (alloy wheels, climate control air-conditioning, front and side airbags and all-round electric windows, for example) there also lies permanent four-wheel drive and, for really tricky conditions, a low-ratio transfer box.This last item is engaged by pulling a lever on the central console, and it's a rare example of dubious design that the lever in question is too close to the handbrake and can be operated instead of it, which could become very expensive. Other low points are that the car feels flimsier than it actually is (despite all the facelifts, the Impreza is at heart quite an old design, and it's showing more as each year passes) and that the ride can be surprisingly rough.This is a bit of a mystery. The 1.5R's suspension is quite soft, so the blame should fall on the tyres, which have the uncompromising feel of low-profile items. But they're actually 195/60s, with tall and presumably flexible sidewalls. Maybe a more subtle mismatch between springs, dampers and rubber is causing the problem.Lack of rear passenger room is another familiar Impreza issue, but at least the estate body provides enough space to carry large, inanimate objects. With all the seats in place the volume is 365 litres, increasing to 1266 litres when the rear row is folded down.The 1.5R is without doubt one of least exciting Imprezas ever devised. Once you've understood what it's designed for, though, you realise just what a fine thing Subaru has achieved. In terms of achieving its objectives, this car is one of the high points of the Impreza's long history. Engine 1498cc, 4 cylinders Power 104bhp Transmission 5-speed manual Fuel/CO2 35.8mpg / 184g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 13.5 seconds Top speed 109mph Price £12,495 Details correct at publication date
Our Rating
